Over shooting .... ?

S

Sharps '74

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
21   0   0
I'm new to trap. My gun is a an 12 ga SKB/Ithaca O/U field gun, F&M chokes.

I got frustrated last time I shot, only scoring 16/25. I was told by the score keeper (a very experienced shooter) that I was "over shooting" my targets. I take that to mean I was shooting high.

Is this a factor of the stock being a field stock as opposed to a trap stock? Could this be overcome with a comb riser?
 
I've never heard that term used before. So, we will assume that your interpretation is correct.

If you raise the comb, the gun will shoot higher. Your eye is the rear sight on a shotgun, so like a rifle, if you raise the rear sight, the gun shoots higher.

In your case, if you have shed your winter shooting gear and are in a t-shirt, your cheek may be further forward on the comb. Trap stocks are parallel to the barrel / rib. Other shotgun stocks slope lower as you move toward the butt end. So, your field stock will lower your eye the further back you mount your face on the stock.

If you normally cover the target when you shoot them, try floating the target just over the barrel.
 
The scorekeeper has no way of knowing for sure where the shot is going. He may have been "reading the breaks" but that is an inexact science at best. You need to pattern your gun to find out exactly where it is shooting and go from there. Anything else is just guesswork. Generally speaking, most field guns shoot lower than a factory built trap gun but who knows how the gun fits you. If you raise the comb you raise the POI so you have to point the gun lower to hit the target. If anything, if the gun is shooting too high. You need to raise the rib to lower the POI. All things are possible with money.
 
I agree with the advice to start at the pattern plate. It would be unusual for a field gun to shoot high but not impossible. Virtually only two reasons for shooting high. Stock fit or lifting your head. You mentioned that you are new to trap. Good chance of head lifting to see the result of the shot.
 
It's common for new trap shooters to fire just as the target is transitioning from rising to falling and if your gun has some momentum upward then you can shoot over top of the target before realizing what is going on, maybe this is what the scorer was seeing you do. Once while watching a junior who was new at trap, I told him he was doing this and that he should try shooting quicker while the target was rising and he went from hitting 10 or 15 to hitting 20 or better, that same youngster went on to be junior champ for the province a couple of years later. Also, it's common to see new shooters fire after the target is dropping and they don't realize that they need to be under it so end up missing over the top. The thing is that new shooters don't know where they are missing so they tend not to change what they are doing, once you know where you missed a target then you can try another approach however, it's impossible for any of us to say what is going on in your case since none of us were there.

I completely agree with patterning the gun to see where exactly it hits with you shooting it. I've sent lots of shooters to the board only to find out that their gun isn't shooting anywhere near where they think it is! On one instance that I can remember, the shooter had an older Citori where one barrel was shooting in the correct place while the other was a foot to the left! If something like this is happening then no amount of compensation on your part will break targets consistently on the trap range. Once you figure out where your shot is going then you can figure out where you are missing the target.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the input! Looks like a trip to the patterning board is in order.

I don't have trouble with rising clays but right breaking birds are an issue. I've tried raising my right elbow to keep my cheek welded to the stock, but continue to have misses.

I have noticed an increase in recoil since wearing lighter clothes, so stock fit has definitely changed. I may wear a PAST recoil shield today to see if it helps.
 
I too swing to fast sometimes and shoot over the clay. I have found that if I hold the gun lower on the trap house I see the clay sooner and I seem to swing slower and I am able to shoot under the clay increasing my score. Saying that I still have to keep from lifting my head...a sure miss all the time.
 
Sharps '74 said:
Thanks for the input! Looks like a trip to the patterning board is in order.

I don't have trouble with rising clays but right breaking birds are an issue. I've tried raising my right elbow to keep my cheek welded to the stock, but continue to have misses.

I have noticed an increase in recoil since wearing lighter clothes, so stock fit has definitely changed. I may wear a PAST recoil shield today to see if it helps.
Click to expand...


When I get to station 4 and 5 I always make sure that my body is turned to the right enough that I can follow a hard right bird without effort. A lot of people tend to set up too far to the left and run out of "twist" for lack of a better word on a hard right bird.
 
"Head on the stock, eye on the rock" on station 5 and 1, twist a little at the waist, if you get a hard angle bird ,you will swing into a more comfortable position , as the bird reaches the break zone, Of course, a trip to the pattern board is a good thing to put your mind at rest. I would imagine your field gun is flat as a pancake, meaning 50/50
. Recoil is something you learn to deal with. How ever field guns being lighter, they can beat you up. Shoot 2 3/4 dram loads, more than enough for 16 yards . Good luck, if you like shooting trap a investment in a trap gun will surprise you. They are engineered for this game.
 
Today I was told that I'm lifting my head when swinging on right breaking birds. I'm consistently breaking 16-17 clays, my misses mostly right breaking clays.

I'll try angling to right a little more when at stations 4-5.

I shot three times - twice with 1 oz. loads, once with 7/8 oz. I hit just as well with the latter as with 1 oz. at 16 yds.
 
Sharps '74 said:
Thanks for the input! Looks like a trip to the patterning board is in order.
Click to expand...
The pattern board was my biggest help when I first started a few years ago. You get to visualize where your shot is hitting. Even now though, most of my misses are shooting over the bird.

When I set up in each position, I use the far marker (the one that is used to set up the trap throwing distance) to line myself up with. That way I am slightly rotating my body position for each station, but keeping fairly consistent with the angle of each position, if that makes any sense.
 
Last edited:
Sharps '74 said:
Today I was told that I'm lifting my head when swinging on right breaking birds. I'm consistently breaking 16-17 clays, my misses mostly right breaking clays.

I'll try angling to right a little more when at stations 4-5.

I shot three times - twice with 1 oz. loads, once with 7/8 oz. I hit just as well with the latter as with 1 oz. at 16 yds.
Click to expand...



Keep the wood on the wood, as they say!
 
Another solution for keeping your head on the stock with hard rights is to exaggerate your follow through. Keep your gun moving in the arc after you pull the trigger and swing the gun longer and farther than you usually would. Follow through is important anyway but this technique should keep your head down a bit longer. If you are completely covering the target with the gun barrel to get a break then you may be subconciously raising your head to get a better look at the target. Raising the comb or changing gun fit might also help in that regard but, I can't stress this enough, only change one thing at a time.
 
Station 5 gets everyone when they are learning

-As mentioned, a bit of cheating your body with a twist
-make sure your feet are as far right and forward in your station as legal
-I always aim 2-3 feet off the right corner of the trap house before I call pull to give myself a bit of lead, but still leaving room for a straight shot if it comes
-Pattern your gun, a lot of people are over/under choked

The honest best thing you can do is have a pro watch you and shoot shoot shoot, and shoot even more. Good luck, it gets addicting!
 
Almost all misses are behind and under the bird. Try to miss ahead and above and you will be surprised at the result. A hard right target needs more lead than you might think. I stood at the right hand station and shot a case of ammo by myself before I could confidently and consistently hit hard right targets.
 
Winchester makes AA "Tracker" shells. These shells have a wad that doesn't splay upon firing, and follows the shot column. I find these to be invaluable in determining where missed shots are going. I keep a box in my range bag. Anytime I see someone missing consistently, I offer up a few shells. The problem gets sorted out quickly.
 
On station 5 I was taught to position my feet in line with the the far right stake in the field, line up the gun there , then swing back to the top corner of the house.
That way on a hard right bird I am unwinding as has been described, and the straight away bird is easy to swing into.
Cat
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom